


The Tale of Flakecold Town

by Fede_Green



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, I literally invented everything, King!Poseidon, M/M, Prince!Percy, Servant!Nico, Slight rape/non-con elements - if you squint, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 22:22:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5982720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fede_Green/pseuds/Fede_Green
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo and his mother find themselves alone and poor after an acute chronic meningitis took Mr. Angelo and Bianca away. Maria di Angelo has to ask for the help of the King, a kind and generous man with his people. Nico is sent to the King's Palace in Flakecold Town to have an occupation between the servants. The thing Nico doesn't know is that he'll be a concubine. He also doesn't know that the Prince really likes males concubines.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tale of Flakecold Town

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooo everybody! Here I am with the longest thing I've ever written in just a day. I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to be this long. That's new to me.
> 
> WARNINGS:  
> \- English is NOT my first language. Brace youselves, ~~Winter is coming~~ mistakes are coming. Tell me if you find some (if you surely find some).  
>  \- Slight underage content and rape/non-con elements. (Not really because the story is set in an Alternate Universe in which concubines are a normal thing.)
> 
> Hope you like it, I feel like this is crap.

The Northern Kingdom was the smallest but the most beautiful of the Empire of the Four Lands. Its ruler and King, Lord Poseidon, had won the realm almost thirty years earlier through the war, prying it out of his biggest arch-enemy's hands, Lord Zeus of the Southern Kingdom and also his brother. King Poseidon of the North had always been menaced by his brother's greed and lust for power, and when the war shattered the entire Empire of the Four Lands he promised to himself that such a destruction and misery would not have happened ever again in the future.

The Earth finally got to know what a quiet peace was. The four Kingdoms - the North, the West, the South and the East - were living in harmony with each other ever since. With the fear of a new devastating war still in the air, the Kings of the realms had signed a Treaty of Perpetual Peace. It had been the third treaty ever signed in the history of the Empire since the second one, almost three centuries earlier. People of all four realms finally got to feel safe to work for prosperity together.

The folk of the Northern Kingdom was the luckiest. It was a known fact throughout the Empire. Being the smallest realm of the four allowed the King and his government to better protect people and give them more opportunities in case of huge poverty. After the war, a lot of families had lost their men, leaving women and children on their own. Though, even after the war, it was a habit for the Circle of the Sovereign – a group of gentlemen of high social status that responded directly to the orders of the King - to intervene in cases of big need.

It was the situation in which the di Angelo family found itself into. Acute chronic meningitis had taken Mr. di Angelo away with his daughter Bianca, leaving his wife Maria and his son Nico on their own. Maria di Angelo used to work for a few rich families. She ironed their clothes and made dresses for them as a seamstress. The money she received for her work was unluckily not enough for both her and her son Nico, who was too young and weak to work for the agriculture – like the majority of young men did in the realm. Maria found herself asking for help directly to the King, knowing he was a great man and generous with his people. She wrote a letter, addressing it to the Circle.

A couple of weeks later, a delegate of the realm knocked at the di Angelo's door. The man communicated to them that Nico di Angelo had been accepted at the court to have a place in the palace's servitude. The delegate also told them that he didn't know what the boy's role was going to be; it was to the Circle to determine that as soon as they were able to meet the boy. But Maria di Angelo knew that working in the King's staff, even if not paid, meant having a bed to sleep in, regular meals and the warmth of a fireplace in every room for the cold season. She accepted. Nico di Angelo, although frightened by the unknown which he was going to collide into, prepared his bag with the few belongings in his possession. Two days later, one of the royal black cars arrived to pick him up – much to everyone's enthusiasm and surprise. It didn't happen every day to see such a thing. Nico himself had never seen an actual car with his own eyes until that day.

With renewed hope, Nico greeted his mother who was in tears and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He got in the car and disappeared towards the Capital.

** **

The journey towards the Northern Kingdom's Capital, Flakecold Town, lasted at least two days. Nico didn't know it was possible to have such a long trip. He looked out the window for the whole time, astonished by all those places and cities' beauty. What people of the Empire said about the North was true; it really was the most beautiful place on Earth to be. When the car stopped late in the afternoon, the scrawny boy was asleep. One of the palace guards woke him up and made him get out of the vehicle. Nico was not prepared for what he saw.

In front of him towered the biggest building he had ever seen. It was candid white and protected by high gates of the colour of gold. For everything Nico knew, they could have been made of actual gold. He wasn't sure. Inside the gates, a huge fountain showed itself off as the most magnificent piece of art ever existed. The statue of a man with a trident in his left hand towered in the middle of it. Around the fountain and by the side of a small path leading to the palace's entrances – there were lots of them – there were stunning and colourful gardens. Nico could see some hedges shaped like arches in the distance, a fact that suggested the existence of a labyrinth. People walked here and there, going the Gods knew where, carrying jars or baskets with them outside and inside the building. Nico was stunned. He couldn't believe his luck.

Suddenly, a low and warm voice captured his attention.

“Mr. di Angelo? Lord Grace of the Circle would like to see you.”

The boy shyly nodded. He was embarrassed. Nobody had taught him how to have an appropriate conversation with a respectable member of the high society. Playing with the sleeves of his shirt with nervousness, he followed the guard through the gardens and towards a small building that communicated with the main palace through a small stone bridge on the left. The man knocked on the door exactly four times. A servant opened it, staring at them, and then just nodded in their direction, letting them in.

A blonde young man was sitting at a big desk, looking at the holograms he had in front of him with a pensive look. As soon as he noticed the boy escorted by the guard, he smiled.

“Close the program.”

At his words, the few holograms disappeared from Nico's sight and the face of the blond man was finally visible. He was tall and beautiful, with the most electric blue eyes the boy had ever seen. He made a sign to the palace guard to leave the room, revealing his toned and muscular biceps in the gesture. The man obeyed, closing the door behind himself.

“My name is Lord Jason Grace. I'm Chairman and First Secretary of the Circle of the Sovereign. You can refer to me as 'My Lord' or simply 'Lord Grace'.”

Nico tried to remember that information – and failed miserably. Five minutes in the high society and he already couldn't figure anything out. He nodded, biting his lower lip.

“You say ' _Yes, My Lord_ ', Mr. di Angelo. You're supposed to let your interlocutor know you understood what he said.”

At those words Lord Grace smiled, letting him know that he was trying to help without being mean. Courtesy forms were an unknown field for Nico and the man seemed to know that.

“Yes... My Lord."

The blond guy smiled at him again. “Good. Now, please have a seat. I have to ask you a few questions in order to collocate you rightly in the servitude. There are lots of things you could do. I need to know what's the best for you and for the King.”

The boy swallowed with tension and sat down in front of the desk, looking at Lord Grace doing the same thing on the other side. The blond guy typed with his fingers on a device thin as a pin that Nico had never seen in his life. With a bit of curiosity, he leaned forward to take a glance of the object. The man stopped typing when he noticed the boy's movement. He raised an eyebrow at him mockingly. Nico blushed furiously and coughed with embarrassment to try and dissipate his uneasiness. He leaned back against the chair and stared at the floor.

“So, Nico. I need to know your age, your height and your weight.”

“Y-yes, My Lord. I'm sixteen years old. I'm 5'6'' tall, maybe, I'm not sure. And I weight around 122 lbs. I'm not sure about that, too.”

Lord Grace gave him a surprised look. He wrote the information on his device and sighed heavily to himself.

“You're too thin. You can basically do nothing for the palace maintenance. What are your abilities? Do you have any?”

The boy thought about it for a minute. He didn't have so much time to cultivate some special abilities. He helped his mother sewing occasionally, but he was not so good at it. He could cook some basis dishes and nothing else. The truth was that he was too weak to do anything else, being the main reason his mother had to ask for the King's help.

Nico shook his head with sadness. “I sew sometimes... I cook, but I'm not good at it. I clean the house.”

The blond guy kept typing, but his disappointment and concern were visible. He sighed again and raised his head towards him. “Can you read? Write?”

The boy nodded enthusiastically. His and his sister's education were the main source of pride for Nico's father. He gave everything he could to afford it, repeating to his kids that education was the most important thing for them. Nico had always been happy to be able to go to school, but with his father and Bianca's deaths he couldn't attend it anymore. “Yes My Lord! I can.”

Lord Grace smiled nicely and nodded, always writing on the thin object in front of him on the desk. He then cleared his throat, ready to ask him something else.

“I have one last question for you. It could sound a bit strange to you, but remember you're here for the King's sake and will. You have to do everything you can and that it's ordered to you. You understand this?”

His look was concerned and Nico couldn't figure out why. His answer came out with a trembling voice. “Yes, My Lord. I do understand...”

“Very good. So, the last question. Has your chastity ever been violated? Are you still uncorrupted? Remember the realm doesn't like lies.”

Nico blushed furiously at those words. He was not used to that kind of subjects. His mother was a bit strict when it came to talk about marriage and marital sex, resulting in the fact that they never talked about it.

“Yes... My Lord. I am pure.”

Lord Grace nodded at his direction. He was looking at the boy as he was thinking 'what a poor, poor guy, what an unlucky destiny'. The man sighed in resignation, knowing what it was the only place where he could have placed the boy into - for the moment.

“Really well, Mr. di Angelo. Starting from right now you're assigned to the Concubines' Apartments. Not everyone living at the court of Our Majesty the King can claim a concubine's company, but from the King and at the extension of his closest relatives you can expect anyone at any moment.”

Nico's mouth dried in an instant. What did it mean? Was he supposed to have sex with complete strangers? He didn't expect something like that. In fact, he began panicking. Tears were struggling to come out from his eyes, but he managed to look decent in front of the Secretary.

“Y-yes My Lord...”

The boy's voice was trembling. Lord Grace sighed with compassion. “Nico. Since you are a virgin and never laid with anyone, you're not supposed to make love to the first passer-by. The privilege belongs to the King or to those designated by him.”

A single tear came down Nico's face as he nodded slowly. “Yes, My Lord...”

** **

The palace guard guided him towards a small building a bit far from the palace. One had to cross a long path in the middle of the apple trees field in order to reach it. The mansion was as white as the main palace, following the style of decorations and colours. When they entered it, the sound of a lot of voices assaulted Nico. It was plenty of young boys and girls going from here to there, laughing together, talking to each other or simply playing cards at some of the small tables that were collocated a bit messily around the main room. Said room was split in two halves by invisible lines: the right half was the one with the little tables and couches where the majority of the people was, the left half included a long table and a kitchen. In the complex, the main room was very huge and crowded. In front of the entrance towered a large flight of stairs, leading probably to the young residents' apartments.

A brown haired girl with slightly brown skin approached them and smiled to Nico.

“Thank you Alabaster, I'll do the rest!”

The palace guard winked at her and disappeared, after delivering a sheet of paper to the girl and leaving a fond pat on Nico's shoulder. She took the sheet of paper and Nico almost fell on his knees - the guy was strong.

“My name is Piper. I'm vice-matron of the Concubines' Apartments, the main matron being Madam Aphrodite. She is a bit mean, but she's not around so often. So, don't worry!”

The girl chuckled and shook Nico's hand, who was still looking around himself with curiosity. She then read the sheet of paper Alabaster just gave her and nodded, smiling all the time. “I already know in which room collocate you.”

“Thank you... Miss. I'm Nico, by the way.”

The boy blushed heavily. He was still feeling uncomfortable. The idea that he was going to lose his virginity to the King was frightening him to the point that he wanted to lay on the floor and pass out in tranquillity. Piper managed to keep smiling at him – maybe she had some kind of face paralysis – and nodded again.

“I know who you are, I just read it. You're not supposed to call me 'Miss', we're all equal here. You'll grow the ability to recognise who's from the high society or Royal Family and who's not, don't worry. Follow me upstairs, I'll introduce you to your roommate.”

Nico whispered a soft “all right, then” and followed the girl. They reached the first floor – there were only three floors, anyway – and the boy kept giving quick looks inside the small rooms in the corridor. Some had the door closed, others had it opened with people chatting inside, some others were empty.

Piper knocked at one of the doors that were opened. A skinny boy was laying on the mattress, playing on his own at some card game – maybe Solitaire. Nico didn't know, he never played cards. The boy raised his head and a wide grin formed on his face. He jumped off the bed and immediately offered his hand to Nico. The boy shook it kindly – well, the intention was to do it kindly, but the other basically grabbed it and almost tore his hand out.

“I'm Leo Valdez! It's _really_ nice to meet you, I was bored to death since my last roommate left the palace.”

Leo Valdez looked like a crazy elf. His skin was tanned, almost brown, and his hair was a pure mess. He had curls everywhere, without any logic, and two little elfish ears popped out of them. Apart from that, he looked nice. His chocolate brown eyes gave him the air of someone who was warm and funny.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Nico.”

The tanned boy smiled even wider. He sat on his bed and made him sign to sit next to him. Piper had left the room waving them goodbye.

“So, tell me. Where do you come from? I'm actually original of the Southern Kingdom, but my father managed to move in the North. He had a job special permission. I don't know much about this story... I just know he died and I had to come here. I'm under the protection of Her Ladyship Calypso of Flakecold Town. She's a Countess, you know. She makes me presents. Expensive presents.”

Leo chuckled at his words, showing him a golden bracelet around his right wrist. Nico was genuinely impressed and looked at the jewellery with a bit of envy. That boy seemed to feel fine that he was treated like merchandise. Or like a pet. Nico frowned at the idea of being merchandise himself.

“I'm from the North... my father and sister died from meningitis two years ago. My mother wrote to the Circle of the Sovereign and now I'm here. Lord Grace assigned me to these... apartments.” Nico blushed. The uneasiness was growing inside of him like a ivy plant, climbing on every organ in his body, every bone and muscle. He wanted to cry. Holding his tears for the whole time had not been easy. In some weird kind of way, he trusted that Leo-boy. He looked genuinely interested in him and kind. Nico missed his mother and his house, and he mostly missed talking to someone that was loyal to him. He began sniffing and a tear came down his face in hush. Leo winced at the sight and leaned a hand on Nico's shoulder, ready to comfort him. Right at the moment in which the curly boy was going to speak, Nico interrupted him with a sob.

“I have-” he sobbed again, letting himself go. “I have never slept with someone, and Lord Grace told me that the privilege belongs to the King. And I'm so scared, I don't want this to happen. I don't!”

Nico was a sobbing mess. He couldn't help but cry louder, drowning in his own tears and fears. He kept imagining his first time in his head, feeling the pain like it was true, the shame of being violated in such a brutal way. Leo seemed to know what he was thinking and limited himself to hug the boy tight.

“I know... I arrived here nine months ago. I was in the same... condition as yours. But the King is kind, seriously, it'll be all right. It'll be just half an hour. It'll be easy after that.”

The scrawny boy sighed deeply to calm himself down. He was trying really hard to believe his new friend's words, but deep inside he knew it was just a half-truth. There was nothing easy about his situation. Nothing was all right. And Nico was falling apart. He hugged Leo tighter, feeling the boy comfortably stroking his back.

** **

The morning after the sun was shining bright in the sky on Flakecold Town. The King's palace looked even whiter under its warmth and light. The gardeners were pruning plants all around the fields and the gardens, the cooks were already thinking about a menu for lunch and the daily cleaning routine had started a few hours earlier. Everything was as usual.

King Poseidon and his son, his Royal Highness the Prince of the North whose name was Perseus Jackson, were comfortably sitting on elegant couches in the conference room for the usual business meetings of the morning. Lord Perseus, or Lord Percy - as he told everyone to call him -, didn't enjoy that morning ritual as much as his father. The young man was barely twenty years old. He knew that the realm's throne was supposed to be his after his father's death, so he couldn't avoid his duties with the excuse of being too young. Lord Percy had to play the part of the serious and glacial son of the King.

“Your Majesties, I'm honoured you have allowed me to see you in all your Highness. I wish you a happy morning! All regards are for you, my Lords.”

The King smiled calmly at the Viscount in front of him and dismissed him. Lord Percy sighed heavily after the man had left the room with a courtesy, and leaned against the couch with a bored expression. He was aware of the fact that his father didn't like him to be so childish at times, but the boy just couldn't avoid it. Indeed, King Poseidon glanced at him with the most frightening killing stare he ever gave him. Lord Percy winced and returned at his previous position on the couch – straight back and wide shoulders.

“Your Majesties, happy morning.”

A tall blond guy entered the room and bowed. Lord Percy smiled at him; Jason Grace was one of his closest friends at court.

The King bowed his head back in greeting. “Happy morning, Lord Grace.”

“Thank you for the convocation. Lord Zhang has already informed you about the recent news from the West and the South. Nothing so alarming, if I may say it. Your Majesty the King is superior to this kind of rumours.”

King Poseidon grinned. “You may say it.”

Lord Grace smiled back and bowed his head at the permission. He then cleared his throat. “On the other hand, there are a little news about your palace dispositions. We have a new cook – may the previous one rest in peace -, another guard for the lower gates as your Majesty had requested and a brand new concubine that needs special... consideration. We could say it this way.”

Lord Percy raised an eyebrow in pure interest. _That_ was a field he knew everything about. “Jason, we're talking about a boy or a girl?”

“Lord Percy, the new concubine is a boy.”

The Prince grinned mischievously. A new entry was always appreciated. “How is he? Describe him.” King Poseidon rolled his eyes and sighed in resignation. His son was nothing close to a decent Prince.

In fact, Lord Grace blushed slightly. “Yes, your Majesty. He's 5'6'' tall and weights around 122 lbs. He's scrawny. Dark brown hair, a bit messy, and brown eyes. If I may say it, he's not bad at all.”

Prince Percy grinned even wider. “He needs our _consideration_ , you said?”

“Yes, My Lord Percy.”

Lord Percy took a deep breath and turned towards his father. King Poseidon looked like a stranger to the entire conversation, as if it did not concern him directly. And that was the highest hope Lord Percy had. “Your Majesty, my Father? May I ask you a question?”

King Poseidon only sighed in response. He knew this was coming.

“May I be officially designated for this delicate situation?”

Lord Grace was looking at his friend and Lord with fond exasperation. Lord Percy the Prince had a reputation for liking other males' company. He had asked many times the permission of his father to marry a boy and give him the Fertility Cider, but King Poseidon was still aiming for his son to find a wife instead of a husband. Anyway, he couldn't deny to his son the benefits and pleasures he himself had at his disposition. He wasn't a hypocrite.

The King sighed again at Lord Percy's insolence and then slowly nodded. “The day you're going to announce me that you found a wife, I'll probably die.” He was at his highest exasperation. “Percy, you're officially designated to take care of this- what's his name, Lord Grace?”

“Nico di Angelo, your Majesty.”

“Good. To take care of Nico di Angelo's situation. Go ahead and don't stress me out any further.”

Lord Percy smiled in victory and winked at his friend and Secretary Lord Grace. “I finally have something interesting to do.”

** **

Nico had to learn a great amount of rules during his first day at Flakecold Town Palace. Piper and Leo gave him a quick lesson about courtesy, on how to address to a superior of society grade, on how to address the King – or his wife and son, and in general the Royal Family – and how to recognise and distinguish them. It had been difficult at first, but he slightly managed to remember all the differences in clothes and behaviours. The boy soon got into the routine of the Concubines' Apartments. It was nothing different from what he had to do at his own house: tidying his room, cleaning, setting the table for breakfast, cooking it and washing the dishes. The fact that King Poseidon never showed to his room the evening before was a bonus point.

In the afternoon a rumour about Prince Percy started, having it that he had been designed to take care of the new concubine's situation. Nico began to feel the panic. He was hoping in the deep inside of his heart that the King could have forgotten about him. This wasn't the case, obviously. Leo told him everything he knew about his Majesty the Prince.

“He possessed me just once. It was really late in the night, seriously, the King had thrown a party for his wife's birthday. A _boring as hell_ party, if I may say it. I don't remember it well. The Prince was drunk off his ass. I'm not sure he remembers it, too. And that's it. He brought me outside, asked for my name, and just took me behind a peonies bush. But don't panic, he knew I wasn't a virgin. Oh _Gods_ , I'm so sorry, Nico _don't cry_!”

That was how Nico spent the afternoon. Crying. Everyone had stories like the one Leo had told him about the Prince – principally boys, he noticed – but the worst part of everything was facing the envy and the rage of one of the girls concubines. Her name was Annabeth Chase. As soon as she learned about the rumour, she began staring at him as if she wanted to kill him. The girl even grabbed him by the shirt in the corridor and slammed him against the wall.

“Be _really_ careful on what you're doing with his Majesty the Prince, di Angelo. I've been his favourite for _three months_ now, don't you even dare stealing my place.”

Nico limited himself to frantically nodding. The girl was scary. How was he going to explain that he didn't want any of that? He didn't want the Prince's attentions. He was so frightened that he kept running to the bathroom to pee. Near dinner time, the anxiety was so high that he began shaking. No matter how many times Leo repeated him to calm down, - “really, it's just half an hour, not much! It can't last forever. It doesn't hurt so badly” - Nico just couldn't calm down. It was the most impossible thing. The verbs ' _calm, relax, chill_ ' didn't have any sense in his mind.

At around 10 pm, one of the palace guards entered the Apartments. As usual, everyone was occupied with their protector or playing cards on the carpet, telling stupid jokes and laughing. Piper noticed the man immediately, though, and approached him at the door.

“Yes? Who do you need?”

The palace guard tried to recollect a name from his memory. Obviously, he was new at palace. “Piper Mc- ehm, Mc _something_ , and Nico di Angelo. The first one being requested by-”

“Lord Grace. The second, requested by his Majesty the Prince. It's _McLean_ , anyway. It's not that difficult,” the girl sighed.

“Exactly. Everything you said is right.”

Piper smiled. Her relationship with Lord Grace, the Prince's closest friend, was evolving into something she didn't have imagined. The boy had confessed to her that he was in love with her, that he meant it. Piper had been living in a dream ever since. At the realisation that even Nico had been called, she frowned in worry. She knew how he felt. Basically everyone, due to the fact that they all were so young, arrived at Flakecold Town Palace in the same condition. Piper sighed and reached for Nico, who was trying to learn how to play Pinochle with Leo.

The boy was slightly chuckling when he saw Piper approaching. His smile faded into the ghost of a smile. He paled. The moment had arrived. He was fucked, in every sense he could have thought of. Nico didn't give her the time to speak. He just nodded in resignation and got up from the carpet. Leo smiled at him in solidarity. Nico's body was made at 99% of anxiety and 1% of actual flesh.

“You follow me, all right? Take a deep breath, the Prince is not even _bad_. Everyone told you so. He's good looking. You'll like him.”

The boy nodded and followed her and the palace guard outside the apartments and towards the palace.

** **

Lord Grace was near the huge fountain in front of the palace's main entrance, typing on his weird device. As soon as he noticed the guard leaving two young people by the portal, he turned it off. He approached them with his brightest smile. Lord Grace hugged Piper tight without any warning or a word. Nico was embarrassingly staring at the gravels on the floor. The two were kissing fondly and the boy found himself thinking that they seemed deeply in love with each other.

When they parted, Lord Grace was still grabbing Piper by her waist. “Nico, it's nice to see you again. I have the task to escort you to the Prince's apartments. Then I'll spend a magnificent night with my beloved queen.” He smiled at the girl, who was blushing. “Please, don't tell anyone I called a queen someone else apart from her Majesty the Queen Amphitrite. I could die because of that”, he added quickly, still smiling anyway. Nico just nodded. He wasn't paying attention, anxiety was swallowing him hole.

“Yes, My Lord.”

The three entered the palace after a quick check from the palace front guards. Nico's tension was momentarily forgotten, taken away by the incredulity. Flakecold Palace was _stunning_. The insides were even more beautiful than the outsides, though Nico previously couldn't believe such a thing was possible. Everything shined on its own and looked like it was brand new. The couches were bright red, decorated in gold engravings. The walls were covered in original authors' paintings, the biggest Nico had ever seen. The further they reached inside the building, the more the boy was speechless. Literally every single thing looked massively expensive and precious. He couldn't handle the magnificence without widening his mouth.

Nico's mind was brought to the reality when Lord Grace stopped in front of a big high door monitored by two night guards. His Majesty the Prince's apartments. The boy's legs went weak at the sight. He glanced at Lord Grace, talking to one of the two men and asking for a convocation. As soon as he got the permission from the Prince's personal secretary and usher, Lord Grace entered the room on his own to announce himself.

“Your Majesty the Prince. As you requested, I escorted Mr. Nico di Angelo to your attention.”

Lord Percy, who was filling himself a glass of wine, suddenly turned around and grinned. He raised the glass at his friend and, without saying a word, he made sign with his hand to escort the boy inside of his room. Lord Grace bowed obediently with his head and went outside to call Nico. The scrawny boy gave a quick look at Piper, who smiled at him as an encouragement, and entered the room with Lord Grace.

Nico held his breath. Everything he had heard about him _was_ _true_. The Prince was unbelievably beautiful. He was tall, lean but well-built, and had the eyes of the same colour of the sea. His smile was undeniably captivating, provoking shivers down the boy's spine. Nico began regaining faith in humanity. Hope is always the last to die.

“Lord Percy, may I introduce you to Nico di Angelo? Our latest arrival at palace.” Lord Grace looked at Nico and smiled. He was using his eyes to try and make the boy understand that he had to greet his Majesty the Prince with a bow. Nico frowned for a short instant and then gasped, turning around to face Lord Percy. He bowed with reverence and heard Lord Grace sighing in relief.

The Prince limited himself to a sexy short chuckle. “It's a great... _pleasure_. Thank you, Jason, you can leave.”

Lord Grace bowed with courtesy and wished to the Prince a good night, receiving a “oh, don't worry, _I will_ have a good night” in response. The blond boy left the room blushing slightly. Lord Percy smiled towards Nico, finally being alone with him. He was definitely pleased by the sight of him. The Prince had imagined the boy, but nothing in his mind came _that_ close to what he was seeing. Nico di Angelo was candidly beautiful. His features were perfect. He looked like the Gods in the first place had thought about creating him. Lord Percy couldn't wait to have him under his body in a moaning mess, screaming his name.

The light in the room was dim. It was obvious that the Prince had turned the lights off on purpose, lighting some candles here and there. Lord Percy was wearing nothing but a black night robe which was slightly opened on his chest, revealing his toned pecs. Nico swallowed hard. A part of him wanted to cry and scream and punch the Prince on the nose in order to run away from there, the other was _intrigued_. Lord Percy was approaching him with a glass of wine in each hand, grinning mischievously. He handed him one.

“My dear, have some wine. It will help.”

Nico blushed heavily. The Prince's voice was charming and warm, like he was trying to flirt with him – act that was absolutely unnecessary since the fact that he literally belonged to him. The boy kindly grabbed the glass that the other boy was offering to him and smelled a bit inside of it. The perfume of the red liquid wasn't that bad. He decided to take a sip. When the wine touched his lips and his tongue, Nico winced and frowned. It didn't taste _that_ good. Lord Percy laughed at the boy's expression and took his glass away. He leaned it on a tiny table near the bed with his own glass, which he had emptied in one gulp.

“You don't talk that much, isn't it? You're a silent type.”

Nico shook his head with embarrassment. A voice suddenly came out from the back of his mind. It was Lord Grace's voice telling him “ _you're supposed to let your interlocutor know you understood what he said_ ”. “Yes, I am. Your Majesty.”

“Lord Percy. 'Your Majesty' sounds so pompous, doesn't it? I've always hated it. Don't repeat this to my father.”

The Prince laughed and approached the boy a little more. He began stroking Nico's cheek with a hand. The boy wasn't too much shorter than him, he noticed. Good thing. He made his hand travel towards his neck, squeezing it a bit and bringing him closer to his own face. Nico was breathing hard, the Prince could feel it against his lips.

“I hope you're not that silent when it comes to have fun...”, he whispered sensually.

Nico swallowed hard. He was staring at an undefined spot on the wall behind the Prince' back, trying to not pass out. When he felt Lord Percy's hands around his waist, he came really close to it. The older boy began leaving hot kisses from Nico's earlobe to his neck and collarbone. At some point, he was biting his skin in a possessive way and leaving red marks, making the boy gasp. Nico's hands flew to the Prince's forearms around his hips in a body's reflex to defend himself. Surely, Lord Percy took it as a hint to go further, because he began pushing the boy towards his bed.

With a soft push, the Prince made Nico fell on the mattress. The boy was leaning on his elbows, staring at him with widened eyes. Lord Percy leaned over him and unbuttoned his shirt with slow movements, grinning with anticipation. Nico could do nothing but silently panting. Anxiety was devouring him and Lord Percy's hot hands touching his chest weren't helping. There was _something_ about the Prince that was flustering the boy in a good way. When his hands reached Nico's trousers, the boy squeezed his eyes shut. Lord Percy pulled them down kindly, bringing the boy's underwear with them. He managed to take Nico's shoes off, leaving him completely naked on his bed.

Lord Percy felt his dick twitch at the sight. He was burning with anticipation to take him. On the other hand, Nico was staring at the ceiling trying not to cry. He looked down to catch a bit of what the Prince was doing and he saw him sensually and slowly opening his robe, staring at the boy's body for the whole time. Lord Percy made his nightgown fell on the ground, revealing his semi erected penis. He stepped forward. At the feeling of the Prince's hands on his knees, Nico let a tear fall from his eyes. Lord Percy didn't notice. He spread the boy legs and began stroking his inner thighs with lust.

“ _Yes_... you're gorgeous under me.”

The Prince let got of his thighs and began masturbating in front of him. Nico could hear his moans and low groans while he prepared himself to take him. The boy was silently crying and repressing the sobs in his throat, not wanting to make the Prince angry. He remembered what Piper had told him. “ _Don't make him upset or other bullshit, you're gonna pay for it. Just let him do whatever he wants._ ” And that's what he did. He let Lord Percy do what he wanted.

Nico felt the mattress lowering under the Prince's weight and then sensed the warmth of his body against his skin. Lord Percy kissed his neck fondly and began rubbing his dick against the boy's entrance. Nico silently gasped at the sensation. His own penis was flaccid against his stomach, but he couldn't deny he was feeling aroused.

Suddenly, Nico found himself grabbing the Prince's arms, which were laying at the sides of his head on the mattress, when he felt the Prince's dick penetrating him. Lord Percy was lowly moaning into Nico's ear, not even trying to hide his pleasure. Of course it was good for him. Nico's warm hole had never been violated before. He was sliding inside of him like it was the most fantastic thing in the world. The scrawny boy, on the other hand, was feeling a slight but constant pain. He had to admit to himself that it was better than he thought. In fact, in a few instants, the Prince had fully penetrated him and was now trying to catch his breath.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut for a couple of seconds, trying to adjust to the sensation of being filled. Lord Percy was panting hard against his skin and the boy found himself moaning a bit at the sound. The Prince seemed to have noticed it. He kissed him on the lips for the first time in the whole evening. Nico enjoyed it. The Prince's lips were soft and tasted good. They tasted of something sweet like cherries. _The wine_. Soon Lord Percy was licking inside his mouth, accompanying the movements of his tongue with slight thrusts of his hips. The Prince had to break the kiss to groan low in his throat.

He was now looking down at where their bodies connected, staring at the slow movements he himself was provoking. “You're _so_ good, Nico.”

Nico moaned at those words, surprising himself in the gesture. The Prince began pushing in and out of him a bit faster, every thrust being deep and studied. Of course he was good at it. What could a young Prince do in his spare time? He could have sex, obviously. There was no denying he was _a God_ at it, because Nico soon began feeling turned on. The tears were a mere memory now, concentrated in the effort to make it good for himself. He was shocked by his own thoughts. He _liked_ it. Lord Percy was touching something soft inside of him, a sweet spot, that was making him feel like he never did before.

The Prince speeded up at the sight of Nico enjoying it. He grinned with satisfaction. The kid was completely on cloud nine, his eyes shut and his forehead contracted in some kind of effort not to let himself go. His dick was fully hard against both their stomachs. Lord Percy began thrusting insanely hard. The bed's headboard was hitting the wall repeatedly, probably making his night guards blush on the other side of the door.

Soon, Nico found himself crying with pleasure. He was grabbing the Prince's arms like his life depended on it, moving his hips to follow Lord Percy's thrusts. The older boy on the other hand couldn't stop grinning mischievously. That's how he did things. He did them _good_.

“My Lord!”, the boy screamed, throwing his head back on the mattress.

The Prince took advantage from it and licked the boy's chest everywhere he could reach. He then leaned forward to get closer to the boy's face. “Do you like this? Do you?” He was panting extremely hard against Nico's cheek.

“Oh _Gods_ , yes!”

Their rhythm soon stopped following any logic. Lord Percy was thrusting so hard and messily that Nico had to grab the sheets under his body. He was biting his lower lip and he could taste the blood on his tongue. He had cut himself with his own teeth. Nico couldn't care less. The Prince was close and the boy could feel it. The sound that their bodies provoked colliding against each other was a good source of satisfaction for both of them. In fact, it was turning Nico on more than ever.

Lord Percy shifted his hips slightly, making his dick repeatedly rubbing inside of Nico perfectly right. The orgasm hit the boy by complete surprise. He felt all his muscles go weak under the Prince's weight and he soon forgot his own name in order to scream Lord Percy's.

It was music to the Prince's ears, who was now growling low in his throat and thrusting in and out faster, harder and deeper. He took a glance at his own dick disappearing inside of the boy, wet and swollen. That was all he needed to come, seeing his own penis so covered in his own precum and in the boy's fluids.

Lord Percy came _hard_ and deep inside Nico's hot warmth with a low groan. He pushed his dick inside of him a few more times, releasing his hot seeds and moaning loudly. The boy didn't seem aware of it. In fact, the boy didn't even seem to be aware of his own presence in the Northern Kingdom at the moment. When the Prince slid out of him, he noticed that Nico was slowly falling asleep on the mattress, his legs still spread and his mouth opened in a tiny letter ' _o_ '. He chuckled at the sight and then began openly laughing, receiving absolute nothingness in response from the boy.

“Oh, for the Gods' sake... I literally fucked the life out of you, didn't I?”

** **

The morning after, one of Lord Percy's night guards woke Nico up. The man had to shook one of his shoulders extremely hard in order to obtain any result. The boy gasped and sat on mattress quickly, looking around himself to figure out where he was. Then the memory of the previous night hit him strongly. He blushed in embarrassment, his heart missing a beat.

“Mr. di Angelo, I'm sorry to tell you his Majesty the Prince is not here. You'll have to reach for you apartments on your own. It's time for breakfast.”

Nico blinked in confusion and stared at the man, analysing what he just had said in his mind. When he finally got to understand his words, he managed to nod. The boy also remembered that he was completely naked. The guard didn't seem to care anyway, he looked completely fine with it. Of course, he was used to that kind of situations.

“I also have to announce to you that you're under the Prince's direct protection from now on. No one is allowed to touch you apart from him. Since it's considered high treason not to follow the Prince's orders and will, whoever will try to touch you or hurt you will be condemned to death by hanging. Mr. di Angelo, did you understand everything I told you?”

Nico was shocked. He wasn't sure he had got it right. _Lord Percy's direct protection_? What did he do to deserve this unbelievably high honour? He shook his head in disbelief and cleared his throat, finding it hard to speak. His mouth was dry since the evening before. Maybe shouting so much had not been a great idea.

“Why?” he managed to ask.

“It's not to us to know the Prince's reasons and causes of his decisions. He issued a warrant early this morning.”

Nico sighed in incredulity and nodded to himself. He thanked the man, who didn't seem to want to leave the room. The boy soon understood that the man was supposed to check on him while he was dressing up again. Those were the Prince's apartments, after all, and Nico could just imagine how many valuables were in there.

He left the room and directed himself to the Concubines' Apartments.

** **

“Lucky bastard!”

As soon as Nico had entered the apartments, Leo wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He had a grin on his face that told him he was genuinely happy to see him. Nico noticed a brand new gold necklace around the boy's neck. The pendant was a little plaque with his name carved on it. A new present, apparently.

“What in the name of the Gods did you do to deserve the Prince's protection? Do you have any idea of how many ugly men and fat ladies I had to have sex with before Countess Calypso put me under her own protection? I hate you.”

Nico blushed with shyness. He honestly had no idea. Before he had the time to give his friend an answer, a tall blond girl showed in front of them. Annabeth was livid with anger, her arms crossed on her chest. Her cold grey eyes were staring at him like she could have seen Nico's soul and tear it away from his body with her bare hands. The boy began feeling scared; having troubles with Annabeth wasn't on his to-do-list.

“Thank you very much, di Angelo. You're gonna pay for it.”

“Annabeth, may I remind you he's under the Prince's _protection_? You touch him, you die.” Leo smiled at her with satisfaction. “You were not under the protection of Lord Percy, Nico didn't steal anything from you.”

If possible, the girl seemed to go even madder than she was. She snorted with rage, muttering to herself like a crazy maniac, and left the main room. Leo turned his face to look at Nico while Nico was doing the same to look at him. They started laughing with relief and Leo hugged him.

** **

The weeks began flying away without giving the time to Nico to notice it. Lord Percy's passion for him was growing stronger. The scrawny boy found himself one afternoon to eavesdrop a conversation between Madam Aphrodite and a King's maid. They were gossiping about how the Prince had ceased to require the attention of new concubines and how that fact was irritating the Matron more than ever. Nico blushed furiously. Was the Prince having sex exclusively with him? That was a shocking new for the boy.

Much to everyone's amusement, Lord Percy looked like he was irreparably lovesick. He brought Nico everywhere with him, making the King's business partners unleash giggles and knowing glances. They rode horses together, they had picnics under the trees and they even bathed and played with each other like kids in the small lake at the limits of the property, Flakecold Snowy Lake. At any moment Lord Percy used to drag Nico into closets, bathrooms, even in the toolshed or the stables in order to take him with passion. The Prince showed up at the Concubines' Apartments at least four times in a day to claim Nico, until the day he got tired of it and asked to his Majesty the King the permission to procure a room directly into the palace for the boy. Leo had been sad about it for a couple of days, but then got over it when Nico gifted him a new silk shirt.

Nico had money now. The Prince kept giving him little bags of gold coins and jewellery to please him. No matter how many times he told Lord Percy he didn't need it, Lord Percy just ignored him. Nico was growing richer and he couldn't figure out his luck. The Prince was charming with him, romantic and kind. The boy began considering the option he was irredeemably falling in love with him.

As one of their usual evenings, the boys were making love to each other on one of the Prince's couches in his apartments. Nico was a moaning mess, his robe opened and softly stroking against the floor with their movements. The Prince was kissing his neck while he thrust inside of him hard, completely naked between the boy's thighs.

“I love you, oh _Gods_ , my prince” whispered Lord Percy in the boy's ear. Nico gasped at the confession and grabbed the Prince's hips when he began sliding in and out of him with renewed passion.

“Percy... I love you too. _Ah_! Yes, faster!”

Slow on the uptake, Nico seemed to notice he had called the Prince just by his name. Lord Percy on the other hand seemed delighted by it and chuckled slightly. He obeyed, thrusting harder inside of him and kissing his lips. The boy made his hands travelling from the Prince's hips to his face, where he began stroking fond circles on Lord Percy's cheeks. They looked at each other in the eyes with pure love, both oblivious to the fact that they were thinking the same thing.

 _I can't imagine my life without you anymore_.

** **

The morning after Nico was a smiling mess. His room in the palace was almost ready for him and he couldn't wait to see it. He had spent days with Lord Percy choosing the colours for the walls, checking the furnitures on one of those thin devices he always used to see in Lord Grace's hands and picking the most beautiful blankets and sheets for his bed. The Prince even allowed him to own a cat.

While he walked towards the Concubines' Apartments to meet Leo and Piper and update them on his last furniture choices, he noticed that there was something weird with his trousers. Some kind of object was rubbing against his leg, provoking a scratching noise. Indeed, Nico found a tiny sheet of paper in one of the pockets. There was a small writing on it.

“I decided I'm tired to wait for the miracle of liking a girl. I'm going to ask to his Majesty my Father – oh yes, also the King – to give me the permission to have your hand for marriage. He's stressing me the fuck out with this whole marriage-thing since I was born. Kisses and cupcakes, I love you. Your Prince.”

Nico passed out in the middle of the way to the apartments and fell into a pond.

** **

When the boy woke up, Leo was staring at him with concern. Piper was right behind him, both her hands on her hips, sighing and shaking her head as if to say “ _look at this looser_ ”. He tried to move and noticed he was laying on a bed.

“Nico! We saw you falling in the small lake and never rise to the surface! We thought you drowned!”

“Yeah. The fact is that that's not actually a small lake, it's most likely a puddle. So you didn't die. You better thank the Gods for that” added Piper with a grin.

Nico laughed slightly at his friends' exchange of words. “Piper, Leo... I had the weirdest dream. I was reading a note that said that... Oh Gods, it said that the Prince wanted to marry me. What is wrong with me?”

The two looked at each other, both raising their eyebrows at almost the same time. Piper was the first one to speak.

“Yes, about this... I have received the order five minutes ago to send you back to the palace. The King wants to see you.”

Nico stared at her in shock and almost passed out again. He managed to look presentable and literally threw himself out of the Concubines' Apartment. He began running without even noticing it. The front guards looked at him in a weird way. Nico knew he was a complete mess, thank you very much. He didn't need their judging gazes. When he reached for the conference room, and before he could have slammed the doors open, the King's secretary and usher stopped him.

“Ehy! What do you think you're doing?! You just can't show up into a room if their Majesties the King and the Prince are inside!”

Nico quivered. Lord Percy was there too? The boy didn't know what to think. The Prince wanted to marry him, how did it happened? And did want Nico to marry him as well? The memory of the latest weeks came to his mind in a flash. Nico wasn't considering his luck. One of the most beautiful and important members of the Royal Family loved him so much to ask to his Majesty the King for his hand. This could have changed his whole life. He could have helped his mother and repaid her for all the sacrifices she had done for him. Nico thought about his father and Bianca. In his wildest dreams, they were with him in that moment, enjoying his luck and happiness. He missed them so much.

The boy took a deep breath with his decision. He _did_ want to marry his Majesty the Prince Perseus Jackson. He could easily imagine himself by his side, taking the Fertility Cider and having a family together. That was a possibility he couldn't deny to himself.

Nico's train of thoughts got interrupted by the doors opening apparently on their own. Lord Grace was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He was grinning.

“Mr. di Angelo, good morning. Were you planning on planting a tent here?”

The boy blushed. He didn't realised he was standing there since an embarrassing amount of minutes. And of course, someone had warned the King that a crazy scrawny boy almost slammed himself against the doors.

“No, My Lord. I'm sorry.”

Lord Grace smiled in response and made him a sign to follow him inside. To welcome him, Nico found his Majesty the King in the flesh, standing with a hand on his sword and the other on his hip. He had a eyebrow dangerously raised. Behind his back, Lord Percy was apparently ignoring everyone and eating an apple, comfortably laying on a blue couch. Nico bowed at his presence with courtesy.

“Mr. di Angelo. You've been here for nine weeks and you're already causing me troubles with my son.”

Nico held his breath, fearing the consequences of the situation.

“... That's a record, I have to admit it. Anyway, since I've resigned to the fact that our Majesty the Prince over there”- and he waved at his son with a hand - “is not going to marry a girl, I gave him the permission to marry you.”

Lord Percy finally managed to remember where he was and turned his face to smile at Nico. He winked at him and got up. The King looked while his son approached the boy. Without any warning or a word, he grabbed Nico's waist and ceremoniously kissed him in front of everyone. The Prince could feel his father rolling his eyes even if he couldn't see it. When they parted with a wet noise – a noise that made blush everyone within 200 metres –, the King sighed.

“I think we all got it, Percy. Thank you for the show.”

Nico leaned his hands on Lord Percy's chest and shyly smiled. “Marrying you will be the greatest happiness of my life, Lord Percy.”

The Prince looked at him with deep admiration – and a high amount of desire, too. And he grinned, of course.

“Nah, Lord Percy sounds to pompous. You can call me Perce. Fancy it?”

The boy laughed and turned his face to glance at the King. Yes, he was rolling his eyes.

** **

After the wedding was announced, Nico asked the Prince to have Leo Valdez as his personal secretary and usher. He also asked the permission to send a letter to his mother with some money inside to give her. Lord Percy did more, he required her direct transfer to the Palace Court in three days.

When Annabeth heard the great news, she left a note on the Concubines' Apartments' table and then climbed the Palace gates during the night. The note said “I'm so done with this shit. I'm joining the Royal Army, don't look for me. AC.”. Lord Percy just shrugged when Lord Grace told him that. The girl was tough. With her in their army, the King didn't have to worry about wars that much.

Piper and Lord Grace finally married exactly one year later the Prince's wedding. Everyone was present. The King himself gifted the couple with a small property on the County of the North Sea.

Nico found himself happier than ever. With his mother by his side, a good friend and a Prince as his husband, his life really looked like a fairy tale. Staring outside the window, the snow falling down calmly on the trees and the lake, the boy smiled. Warm arms wrapped around his waist and a hot pair of lips kissed him on the neck.

“Does my prince want to come to bed with me?”

Nico turned around in Lord Percy's arms and chuckled.

“Your prince surely does.”

FINE

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what to say. I'd like to hide somewhere. 
> 
> Ah yes, I'm sorry for the fact that I followed Dante's hint: when he didn't know how the fuck carrying on with the story in the Divina Commedia, he just made himself pass out, ending the Canto like that. You go Dante, a genius.
> 
> I'm addicted to Nico being happy, I'm not sorry about that.  
> [tumblrlrlr](http://fedegreen-author.tumblr.com/)


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